“I have nothing to say to you,” I say, trying the ignition again but being met with pathetic sputters.
“You’re going to kill Miss Piggy if you keep trying. Just let me in so we can talk.”
I sit in silence, staring at the steering wheel. I blink to clear my eyes from the tears lingering on my lashes.
“I can’t,” I whisper.
With one quick motion, Valentina grabs the roof of the car and slides feet first through the window of Miss Piggy.
“Val!”
“Just hear me out, and then I’ll leave your life forever. Please.”
I take a deep breath and exhale. The silence in the forest is almost deafening now that Miss Piggy has completely shut down. Despite how badly I wanted to run away, I deserve some answers. She should explain herself to me. I deserve that.
“Fine. Go,” I finally say.
“Thank you.”
I can hear a sigh of relief in between her words.
“If you had just waited ten extra seconds, you would have seen me push Silvana off me with full force and scream at her for assaulting me. She was unbelievably wasted. I returned to the cabin after our fight to have time for myself. I didn’t go in there with her, Isa. I need you to know that. She came in to talk and then kept trying to kiss me.”
I freeze, Valentina’s words sinking in. “Assaulting you?” I echo, a mix of anger and shock tightening my chest. I want to reach out, to comfort her, but I’m too tangled in my own hurt. I can barely look at her, knowing what I thought I saw. “I—I’m sorry. I didn’t realize.”
“I don’t want to be with Silvie,” Valentina adds.
I can’t help the morsel of relief I feel creeping in at the thought.
“Well, you can’t be with Sofia either, so I guess you’re shit out of luck.” I sniff, the sadness leaking through despite my efforts to hold it back.
I pick at the peeling leather of the steering wheel, focusing on each little piece and letting it drop to the floor. I’ve been anxiously peeling this wheel for so long that I’m surprised it hasn’t completely disintegrated.
“I want to be with you, Isabella. Not Silvie. Not Sofia. You. I know that now. But honestly, I think I’ve known it for a long time. Maybe even since we were kids. It’s always been you.”
“You don’t even know the real me. Everything—” I pause.
“I already know.”
I look over at Valentina. Her eyes glisten in the moonlight.
“Know what?” I hold my breath. What could Silvana have said to her?
“Everything. Silvie mentioned it earlier, after she saw me heading to the bathroom, and she went on about it when she came to the cabin later. About your restaurant struggles. How you’re not super successful. How you don’t have any money—you or your mother. She was trying to get me to stop wanting you. Trying to show me how different you and I are. But I don’t care. And I already suspected you were different when you pulled up to a $500,000 wedding in Miss Piggy.”
I want to argue and defend Miss Piggy. Tell her she’s more than worthy of attending this fancy wedding.
“She’s right. We are different, Val. I don’t have a fancy condo with a view of New York City. I don’t go to nice restaurants where I know the chefs by their first names. I don’t own real designer things. My mother has no idea we’re about to lose the restaurant. You? You’re a successful chef. You deserve to be with someone who’s in your league.”
I take a breath. “Besides, we don’t just live different lives—we are different. I’m always obsessing over every detail, trying to control things. I freak out over the smallest mess. You’re free-spirited, you let things happen naturally, and you don’t get hung up on stuff like I do. I don’t know if someone like you should be with someone like me.”
“You’re in my league,” she says, grabbing my hand. I don’t pull away. “Be with me, Isa.”
I let myself sit in the moment, enjoying the warmth of her hand against mine. Her long, soft fingers caressing mine. She traces the lines on my palm lightly. I try not to look at her, worried I’ll cave.
“Val, I can’t.”
“Yes, you can,” she argues.
